When buying clothes or shoes in a store or, particularly, on line, it is often hard to know the right size or how well a given item will fit without trying it on first. Very often, the nominal size itself is not a sufficient indicator, since different garments of the same indicated size might have different contours and dimensions, which do not always match well the contours and dimensions of the body of the person for whom the garments are intended.
A number of solutions to this problem have been proposed in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,162,441 explains the difficulties inherent in bra fitting, due to variations in size, shape and disposition of the breasts, by the amorphous nature of the breasts themselves, and by the fact that many women are never measured for bra size, either professionally or otherwise. Furthermore, changes occur to the size and shape of breasts at different times during the menstrual cycle and as the years progress, as well as during and after pregnancy. When choosing bras from mail order catalogues or via the Internet, the option of trying a bra for fit is much more restricted since, if the bra does not fit, it must be returned to the provider, usually by mail, and another choice made. If the consumer is unsure of the size she requires, it could take several attempts and much time and frustration before an appropriate bra is found. The quest to find a correctly-fitting bra is further complicated by the problems that many women fall in between available standard sizes, and that the so-called standard sizes are not uniform among different makes and styles of bras.
In response to this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 7,162,441 describes a method that involves establishing a database of bras containing bra characteristic data including bra size and bra cup size measured from a sample of actual bras. A wearer's breast and torso size are measured to obtain wearer characteristic data. The database is searched to find bra characteristic data within the database matching the wearer characteristic data, and any bras in the database whose characteristics match the wearer characteristic data are listed for selection by the wearer. The patent describes a bra measuring apparatus, which comprises support means for supporting a bra, at least one bladder expandable under internal fluid pressure within a cup of a bra thus supported, and measurement means for measuring the volume and/or pressure of the fluid within the bladder when the cup of the bra has been filled.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,367 describes a system for taking body measurement and producing garments in which body measurements are taken by attaching a number of measuring tapes to a person. Each measuring tape is provided with at least one electrically-detectable measuring range within which at least one individual measuring point is detected by means of an electrical connector positioned at the measuring points, for converting the detected measuring point to an electric signal. The signal from each measuring point is supplied to a central memory and calculating unit in which the body measurements of the person are converted into a pattern for the manufacture of the garment.
As still another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,905,028 describes systems and methods for collecting body measurements, virtually simulating models of actual and target body shapes, ascertaining garment size fitting, and processing garment orders. Body measurements are collected using a measuring device having a belt with a first scale of measurement indicia and a strip with a second scale of measurement indicia.